Scaevola plant named ‘Bonsca 199’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Scaevola  plant named ‘Bonsca 199’, characterized by its relatively compact and mounding to outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; long flowering period; flowers that are deep purple in color; and good container and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Scaevola aemula.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BONSCA 199’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR/APPLICANT & ASSIGNEE

The Inventor/Applicant and Assignee, Bonza Botanicals Pty. Ltd. of Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor/Applicant and/or the Assignee. Inventor/Applicant and Assignee claim a prior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 1.02(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Scaevola plant, botanically known as Scaevola aemula and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bonsca 199’.

The new Scaevola plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact, mounding and early-flowering Scaevola plants with numerous attractive flowers.

The new Scaevola plant originated from a cross-pollination in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in March, 2014 of a proprietary selection of Scaevola aemula identified by the code number 14-31, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with either a proprietary selection of Scaevola aemula identified as code number 14-27, not patented, or a proprietary selection of Scaevola aemula identified as code number 14-29, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parents. The new Scaevola plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in December, 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Scaevola plant by vegetative tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since December, 2016 has shown that the unique features of this new Scaevola plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Scaevola have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bonsca 199’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonsca 199’ as a new and distinct Scaevola plant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact and mounding to outwardly spreading plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Long flowering period.     -   5. Flowers that are deep purple in color.     -   6. Good container and garden performance.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Scaevola differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower color as flowers of plants of the new Scaevola have deep purple-colored flowers of plants of the female parent selection are deep blue in color.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the male parent selections. Plants of the new Scaevola differ primarily from plants of the male parent selections in flower color as flowers of plants of the new Scaevola have deep purple-colored flowers of plants of the male parent selection 14-27 are deep pink in color and flowers of plants of the male parent selection 14-29 are deep blue in color.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the Scaevola aemula ‘Bonsca 1430’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,820. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Scaevola differ from plants of the ‘Bonsca 1430’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Scaevola are more outwardly spreading than         plants of ‘Bonsca 1430’.     -   2. Plants of the new Scaevola are more vigorous than plants of         ‘Bonsca 1430’.     -   3. Plants of the new Scaevola have more leaves per branch than         plans of ‘Bonsca 1430’.     -   4. Plants of the new Scaevola have larger leaves and flowers         than plants of ‘Bonsca 1430’.     -   5. Plants of the new Scaevola and ‘Bonsca 1430’ differ in flower         color as flowers of plants of the new Scaevola are deep purple         in color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Bonsca 1430’ are deep         violet in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Scaevola plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Scaevola plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonsca 199’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Bonsca 199’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer in 24-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Scaevola production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 25° C. Plants were three months old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Scaevola aemula ‘Bonsca 199’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Scaevola             aemula identified as code number 14-31, not patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary selection of Scaevola             aemula identified as code number 14-27, not patented, or             14-29, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures about 21° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 15 days at             temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to develop roots, summer.—About three weeks at             temperatures about 21° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About four weeks at             temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual             color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition,             water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate             temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Relatively compact and mounding to             outwardly spending plant habit; vigorous growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with lateral             branches potentially forming at every node; pinching             enhances branching potential.         -   Plant height.—About 24 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 85 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 26 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2.9 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 3 cm.         -   Aspect.—Upright to outwardly.         -   Texture.—Moderately pubescent; rough.         -   Color.—Close to 146A and 147A tinged with close to N77A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 5.2 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.9 cm.         -   Shape.—Spatulate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate; incisions relatively shallow in depth.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Moderately pubescent;             rough.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137A; venation,             close to 146C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 146B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 5.9 mm.             Texture: Pubescent, rough. Color: Close to 145B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and shape.—Zygomorphic, semi-circular,             fan-shaped flowers with five petals fused at the base to             form a tubular flower throat; flower throat open along the             upper surface exposing the reproductive organs.         -   Flower arrangement and quantity.—Solitary sessile flowers             arising from upper leaf axils; flowers mostly horizontal;             freely flowering habit with typically about ten flowers per             lateral branch and numerous flowers developing during the             flowering season.         -   Flowering time.—Early flowering habit, plants begin             flowering after about three to four weeks after planting;             long flower period, plants flower continuously from spring             into autumn in Japan.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers typically last about a week on the             plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Shape: Lenticular. Color: Close to N77C; towards the base,             close to 145C.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 1.54 cm by 2.66 cm. Depth: About             1.1 cm. Throat diameter: About 3.4 mm. Tube length: About             1.28 cm. Tube diameter, mid-section: About 3.2 mm. Tube             diameter, proximally: About 1.6 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Five, fused at base. Length,             beyond tube: About 1.26 cm. Width, beyond tube: About             4.6 mm. Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Cuspidate. Margin:             Entire; slightly undulate. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, throat: Pubescent.             Texture, tube: Pubescent. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Close to 77A; towards the margin, close to 77B;             towards the center, close to 149D. When opening, lower             surface: Close to 77B; midrib, close to N77D. Fully opened,             upper surface: Close to N81A; towards the center, close to             149D; color does not change with development. Fully opened,             lower surface: Close to N81B; midrib, close to N77D; color             does not change with development. Throat, distally: Close to             150D; venation, close to N77A. Throat, proximally: Close to             150B; venation, close to N77A. Tube: Close to 150C;             venation, close to N79B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Two. Length: About 5.2 mm.             Width: About 1.3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137B;             towards the apex, close to N77A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:             Five. Filament length: About 2.9 mm. Filament color: Close             to 157D; distally, tinged with close to 174B. Anther size:             About 0.3 mm by 1.3 mm. Anther shape: Narrowly ellipsoidal.             Anther color: Close to 157D and 9C; with development, close             to 174A and 174B. Pollen: Sparse. Pollen color: Close to 4D.             Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:             About 1.47 cm. Style color: Close to 145D tinged with close             to N77A; hairs, close to N77A and NN155C. Stigma color:             Close to 150D. Ovary color: Close to 144A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Scaevola. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Scaevola have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 40° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Scaevola have     not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Scaevola plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Scaevola plant named ‘Bonsca 199’ as illustrated and described. 